


Danganronpa ZES: Faded Memories

by risk_disk



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Murder Mystery, Original Character Death(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:20:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28771512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/risk_disk/pseuds/risk_disk
Summary: It was a typical night for Jamster: Getting home from work to play games, chat with his friends, and prepare for the talent program he was selected to go to next week: Zero Academy. That is until he heard a window shatter and went to investigate. Unaware of what to was to happen next, he was quickly bonked over the head and knocked out just to later awake to some sort of meeting area, and also being unable to remember many things about himself. Soon he would find out that he was in fact at Zero Academy, but would be forced to play a deadly game with 19 other people. Will Jamster have what it takes to take back his memories and win this game, or will he fall victim and end up forgotten to time?
Kudos: 14





	1. [Disclaimers]

**1/18/21 UPDATE**

I have made the cover art for Faded Memories! Here it is!

**Before I start this story I just wanted to inform you guys about some things**

I'm completely new to writing on this website, so I'm not 100% sure on how some things work on here. So please tell me if you see anything wrong.

The writing in this story may not be the most descriptive or detailed. I am completely fine with criticism.

There will be a decent amount of inside jokes. This probably won't be too confusing as you can still roll with the story even if you don't get them.

I'll be trying to add a little bit more comedy into this, so expect a less serious tone at times.

That should be it. Hopefully you guys enjoy the story I create!


	2. Prologue: Where We Started

**Holy shit my head hurts...**

Slowly waking up, the pain to my head felt horrible. You could compare it to a piano being dropped on you like in one of those cartoons. Why would I be hurt this badly?

Opening my eyes I was greeted to an unfamiliar location. Looking around, it was a small area with desks and chairs. Perhaps a classroom? When I turned around, my suspicions were confirmed. A blackboard... no... a television? Perhaps a smartboard but it didn't really matter. All I knew was that this was for sure some kind of classroom. Walking around to investigate further, nothing seemed to out of the ordinary for a typical classroom setup. It even felt sort of nostalgic reminding me of my high school days.

Now how exactly did I get here again? Got to think back...

...

...

...

Ah, that's right!

**_The Previous Night_ **

Slowly opening the door to my small home, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally back from work, seems I can finally enjoy myself now" I say as I grab some food and hop onto my PC. This was what I mostly did to waste the days away after work. Playing games and talking with my friends online. Probably the most I could ever ask for. It hasn't been too eventful today. I was currently winning 23-4 against the other team in the game _Double Duels_ with one of my closer friends on the same team as me. The night drifted on until one of the people in our friend group reminded me of a special something.

" _Hey Jams, didn't you say you got a letter to Zero Academy? That's an amazing place to go to bro!"_

 _"Haha yeah I did. I don't know what exactly is in store for me,_ though. _"_ I replied back. Looking at the letter at my bedside, I was still very excited for this opportunity.

_A letter to Jamster_

_Congratulations! Your application to Zero Academy has shown the skills that you inherit are enough to impress the people here. The staff at Zero Academy will work with you to improve on your talent to reach the best possible potential of it and to apply it in the real world for the better of the industry. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we hope you experience the best out of it. The beginning of the Zero Academy year will start next week on 1/22/21. We will be calling you on a later date with more details about the program._

_Welcome aboard, Ultimate Moderator!_

I still cant believe they accepted that as a talent. It was as obscure as it could get. The only reason I went with this talent (or ultimate, as the academy addresses it) was because I run a decently sized community. I didn't see any other talent I was good enough with to apply with, so this was my best bet.

Not that much longer after being reminded of this, I heard some sort of tapping noise. That seemed odd, but I assumed it was some sort of bird or woodpecker that was the culprit, brushing off the matter. Around 2 minutes later, I heard something that I least expected.

_*CRASH*_

The sound of glass shattering and falling to the floor. This wasn't some ordinary matter after all, then. If this is a home intrusion I have to act fast. I didn't have any firearms to work with, so I quickly rushed to the kitchen to grab a knife. I don't know where the shatter exactly came from, so I checked room by room. I found the shattered glass in the living room window, but no sign of anyone around. Still, I would _not_ let this person get away. I checked the rest of the remaining rooms until I finally got to the storage room. There had to be someone here, right? Slowly pushing the door open with my knife at the ready, I looked into the room and found... nothing? That was odd. Perhaps I was just overreacting. Still, I still should probably alert the authorities about this. As I was turning around, my eyes landed upon an unidentifiable figure in front of me. I barely had time to look, but from what I saw, it appeared the figure was holding some sort of long weapon and had a red glow in his eyes that could strike fear into the hearts of anybody. And then it happened.

_*Bonk*_

_**The Present** _

So that was what happened...

Who would do such a thing to me? I didn't think anyone had anything against me.

But there's no time to ponder, I need to get away from here and get back home. There are plenty of people that'll be worried about me. Actually, I don't think my boss would care too much, but I still want to live!

And with that, I stepped out of the classroom and into the unknown, hoping for a means of escape.


	3. Exploration I: Meeting Our Members

Walking out of the classroom, I was greeted with a hallway and an exit door. Was it really that easy to get out of here? Confused, I walked to the exit door and pushed it open and was barraged with light. What I saw was a bright red paved path along with a sign with some writing on it. This already felt like some alternate version of The Wizard of Oz. Walking up to the sign it seemed to be some sort of guide. It had a bunch of arrows with locations next to them. Inspecting it further, there were several locations with directions to them. Wait a minute... Does that say...?  
  


_Zero Academy_

_← Training and Teaching Area *You Are Here*_

_Town Square 0.15 Miles ↑_

_Cafeteria 0.25 Miles →_

_Courtroom 0.8 Miles →_

What the hell? Why am I at Zero Academy? Out of all places to be kidnapped to, I didn't expect this. My best bet is to just find out who's in charge and get everything cleared up, but I still should be careful. I think going to the town square will be my best as that's most likely the main hub for everything. I started to walk in the direction of the town square. Along the way, I couldn't help but notice there to be an interesting amount of nature and statues. Perhaps the academy's significant figures from the past? I continued walking and glancing at the things around me until I saw somebody up ahead. Alright, this is my chance to get some info about what's going on.

"Hey there!" I shout towards the person. "You got any idea about what's going on?" Slowly walking up towards the person, I hope they're not the person that kidnapped me. That wouldn't be good news for me.

"No Idea. The last thing I remember is blacking out. Then I woke up around this area." The man explains. "I'm gonna guess you're in the same boat as me."

"That's for sure," I reply. Alright, so it seems I wasn't the only one that was completely confused. Analyzing the man, he had a a plaid green button up shirt along with a grey undershirt with Japanese symbols. He also had an interesting choice of hairstyle, sporting a borderline mullet. Shorter hair with bangs at the middle, but with the rest of his hair flowing down on the sides. Seems like a nice guy.

"What's your name?" The man asks.

"Jamster. I was given the title of Ultimate Moderator by Zero Academy, so I was hoping to finish up some things at home before I moved to the academy, but then I was knocked out. What's your name?"

"The name's Ameji, the Ultimate Gambler! You won't stand a chance against me in Mahjong!"

Mahjong was not my specialty, that's for sure. But he also called it an ultimate?

" _Ultimate_ Gambler? Did you happen to get an invite to Zero Academy also?"

"Yep! Knew I was going to get in as soon as I applied! I play games I know I can win, y'know?"

Heh, I was already starting to take a liking for this guy. But perhaps both of us being invited to the academy had some sort of correlation.

"Do you think there's possibly more people that were also invited to the academy here? It would be hard to believe it's only the two of us here."

"That's definitely a possibility, it would also give us a chance to not only meet some of the members here, but to also get some context of why we were brought here in an odd way."

He was right about both things, but I was more concerned on the latter. "Shall we get going, then?" I ask him.

"Sure thing," He replied. "Lead the way, captain!"

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Jamster**

**Ultimate Moderator**

**Age: 23**

**Height: 6'1**

_**Sharp Senses: Calls out contradictions** _

**Ameji**

**Ultimate Gambler**

**Age: 19**

**Height: 5'11**

_**Kaiji Kinetic: Will take chances to help the team advance, even if it could cost his** **life**_

* * *

We started to walk towards the town square of the academy. We each talked about what we did in our spare time, how we discovered the talents we had, and the things that we could possibly learn here. I was starting to think that maybe this was just how the ceremony happened, as you shouldn't expect things to be as straightforward with these types of programs. I was curious of who else I would meet and what ultimates they had. I continued to ponder in thought until Ameji noticed someone on the ground, sleeping against a lamppost. Looking at the man, he seemed to be on the smaller side and looked more feminine in general. He had light blue, stringy hair and wore a grey jacket. Ameji strode over to him, kneeled down, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, wake up sleepyhead!"

" _Wh... Wha... Huh? Who are you? Why am I here?_ _"_ The groggy boy slowly got to his feet. His voice was higher pitched and seemed to slur some of his words. "Who are you people?"

"I'm Ameji, Ultimate Gambler, and this is Jamster, Ultimate Moderator."

I wave to the boy. He seemed too innocent to be taken here so suddenly.

"Huh, you two are ultimates... I'm just going to assume I'm at the academy." He replies.

"You would be correct about that. We woke up here, same as you." Explains Ameji.

"Guess I'll introduce myself, then." He says. "My name is Myth, I'm the Ultimate Femboy."

I raise an eyebrow. That was quite an interesting ultimate to have. Then again, I got in as the Ultimate Moderator, so I really shouldn't be calling other people's ultimates weird.

He continues to explain. "As you can tell by my body type and ultimate, I'm generally a more feminine person. I like to help other people with things and just be softer towards others overall."

Well, at least I know I have someone to lean against.

"We're heading to the town square." I tell him. "Want to come along with us?"

"Alright." He replies. "I hope there's something entertaining to do, at least."

And thus, we continued our walk to the town square.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Myth**

**Ultimate Femboy**

**Age: 16**

**Height: 5'5**

_**Sweet Soft: Comforts other people in times of stress and angst** _

* * *

The walk to the town square didn't take much longer. When we arrived we were greeted with several different things. There was some sort of siren in the middle of the square. There were several different colored paths with signs next to them, a wide glass building with several sets of doors labeled "Dorms", and a bulletin board with 2 posters on them. Inspecting the posters, it turned out to be a map of the town square along with paths to main areas and... ultimate labs? We get a whole lab for our ultimate? How would that even work though? I took one last look at the posters in an attempt to burn the information into my mind.

Ok, this would really come in handy. It seems me and Ameji share the same path to our labs, and Myth shares his path with someone named Ultra. Actually, this map probably has everyone who was accepted to the academy on here. 20 of us, no... 19 of us? Why was there a 20th spot? Some sort of wild card? You would think such a professional academy like this would have everything sorted out to the tiniest thing. Speaking of the organizers, we still haven't seen them yet. Where in the world are they?

While I was pondered in thought, Ameji yelled out in the opposite direction.

"Hey! What's up? We're ultimates too!"

"Ameji, I think we could just walk over to them." Said Myth, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"More people?" I ask, to which Myth nodded.

Walking over to them, they seemed to be of the more mysterious or edgy type. They both had long black capes, the only difference being a set of stripes slashing down vertically near the edge. The one on the left looked slightly younger and shorter than the one on the right, he had dark red slashes on his cape, wore a dark grey t-shirt with a black coat and also had brown trimmed hair. He had a look of mysteriousness in his eyes. The one on the right also had the same hairstyle, but slightly more shaggy. He had dark blue slashes on his cape, wore a space black hoodie, and had a look that made it feel like even the universe hated him, like he was about to collapse then and there. After around a minute of silence, the shorter boy introduces himself.

"The name's Crumpet, Ultimate Lorekeeper, that's all I can tell you about my ultimate. Oh, and this is my brother Kessler, the Ultimate Darkcel. He's not much of a talker due to a certain incident a few years back.

We introduce ourselves to them and they listen willingly.

After our introduction, Kessler makes a sudden remark. "Ha, your talent is pretty fucking stupid Jamster."

"Look, I know that myself." I quickly rebuke. "You don't need to rub it in."

"Ha, I like you already, Jamster. Willingness to accept that some things aren't worth shit." He quickly snickers again.

"Yeah, just don't get on his bad side and you should be fine. Also make sure he doesn't judge you the wrong way, but you can't really help that I guess." Mentions Crumpet.

After informing them we wanted to find the rest of the members here, our group quickly disperses from the brothers.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Crumpet**

**Ultimate Lorekeeper**

**Age: 16**

**Height: 5'8**

_**Locked-Out Lore: Has odd knowledge of which he will occasionally talk about, but often keeps to himself** _

**Kessler**

**Ultimate Darkcel**

**Age: 18**

**Height: 5'10**

_**Judgmental Jurisdiction: Will immediately show hate towards others based on their appearance, personality, and/or tone, Can cause sanity to go down** _

* * *

Our group took a look at the bulletin board once again. We started to talk amongst ourselves on how we could start to find the rest of the members.

I quickly do a rundown of our scenario. "Well, we came from the Teaching and Training Area, so we can already strike that down, so that leaves us with three major area paths."

"And there's three of us, so that means each of us can go down one path, right?" Ameji replies.

"I don't see why not," Says Myth, "It's the fastest way, after all."

"That settles it, then." I say. "I'll go down the courtroom path, Ameji can go down the Cafeteria path, and Myth can go down the Garden path."

"Sounds good." Ameji and Myth agree.

We each then wave each other off, going towards our assigned paths.

This place is starting to look up already! Most of the members I've met so far were nice and welcoming. Hopefully it stayed that way.

I started to stride across the path to the courtroom. Time to meet some more friends!


	4. Exploration II: Who Am I To Judge?

Walking down the courtroom path, I couldn't help but wonder about some things. One thing being why exactly a training academy needed a courtroom. Wouldn't the higher-ups just dish out discipline when needed? Or perhaps it was just part of the aesthetic, considering they had a garden out of all things.

I once again barraged myself with all these questions. I shouldn't do that so much. I don't want to overwhelm myself.

When I was around halfway to the courtroom area, I suddenly collided with something and was knocked to the ground. Looking up I could see a guy with a smile on his face and a look of excitement. He had messy, thick green hair spiking out in random directions. He wore an oversized yellow coat, a blue striped shirt that didn't exactly fit right, and a white t-shirt underneath it.

"Oh woops didn't see ya there! You should watch where you're going!" He exclaims.

"Isn't that my line, buddy?" I glare at him as I stand back up.

"Hmmm... no! I don't think so! Hehehe!" He jumps around erratically.

Energetic guy. What's he got to bring to the table? Ultimate Adderall Consumer?

"Anyways, my name's Esteban! I'm the Ultimate F1 Driver! Brrrrrrrr!" He spins around like a car doing a wheelie.

That ultimate also fits.

"Name's Jamster, Ultimate Moderator." I tell him.

"Ultimate Moderator?" He laughs. "What're you gonna do? Ban me from this academy? Hehehehe!" He laughs.

Wish I could do that. This guy's already starting to get on my nerves. I should just make this quick.

"Yeaaaa, uh... anyways, I'm heading to the courtroom. Is there anyone else there?" I ask him.

"Yea, actually! I saw a few others over there and talked to them when I woke up," He explains. "They were all boring, though. Hehehe!"

"Alright, thank you." I say. I start walking towards the courtroom again, but the F1 Driver mentions one last thing.

"I saw some other weird things around the courtroom area! Maybe you should investigate the area also! Hehehe!"

"Wait, what do you-" I was about to ask him to elaborate, but he already ran off towards the Town Square. I sigh. Might as well go with his word. I continue onward to the courtroom.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Esteban**

**Ultimate F1 Driver**

**Age: 18**

**Height: 5'8**

_**Sadistic Smugness: Can increase other's rage and heighten arguments** _

* * *

Arriving at the courtroom area, I was greeted with a building that looked to be at least 3 stories high, and giant wooden doors. There was also a statue of a muscular man in the middle along with a fountain. I could see someone sitting on the border of statue's base, nodding their head up and down, and I could also see two people sitting under some trees for some shade.

I decided I would introduce myself to the person at the statue first. Walking up to the structure, I could feel the mist coming from the fountain blown onto my face, making me nice and cool. Upon closer inspection of the person, he seemed to be wearing headphones, jamming out to some music. Come to think of it, this is actually the first piece of technology besides the board back at the classroom I've seen. I had left my phone on the kitchen counter back at my house before I was kidnapped, and I assumed nobody else had their phones because then there would be cops questioning us about how we were kidnapped.

I sit down next to the person. Looking at him, he had light brown hair with a bob cut, dark skin, round lens glasses, and average branded clothing, the only difference being a light blue music note right on the middle of the shirt.

The person looked up to me, stared for a few seconds, and popped a smile.

"Hi there, I'm Kyfa. The Ultimate Rhythm! What about you?" He asks.

"Jamster, Ultimate Moderator," I say. "Say, how do you have those headphones anyway? I didn't have any of my electronics when I woke up here.

"That's easy to explain," He replies. "I actually built these headphones myself, but they have a groundbreaking feature to them. All the songs are stored in the headphones, which I transfer with a USB." He points to a USB port on the bottom of the right earphone. He then points to some buttons on the left earphone. "I can use these to power the headphones on and off, pause and play songs, skip forward or backward to different tracks, and control the volume. I woke up with them on my neck, so my best guess is that they let me keep these since they have to do with my ultimate."

"So what exactly does your Ultimate mean? Like, is there a certain trait you can do better?" I ask him.

"I'm not so sure myself." He says. "I think it's more of an interconnection of some sorts. Like I'm literally one with music and it's Rhythm."

"Interesting." I reply curiously. This guy seemed really nice for the most part. "Have you talked with those people over there yet?" I point to the two guys talking under the shade of the trees.

Kyfa shudders, then looks away. "Let's just say I don't think I'll be having another conversation with those people for a **long** time."

"What do you mean?" I question him.

"Just go over there and see for yourself." He says. He looks down and puts his headphones back on.

Seems like he didn't have a good interaction with those two.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Kyfa**

**Ultimate Rhythm**

**Age: 19**

**Height: 6'0**

_**Bombastic Beats: Will jam out to many genres of music, these will change the moods of people listening depending on what music they prefer** _

* * *

I walk over to the two under the shade of the trees. The one of the left had more traditional clothing with varying historic symbols tattered across a trench coat and had parted black hair. The one on the right had cateye sunglasses, pointy hair dyed with black and white on each half, a checkered tuxedo and a checkered fedora with skulls pinned all over it. Oh god, I could already tell this was gonna be a wild ride.

I walk up to them and stand in front of them. "Hey there, my names Jamster. I'm the Ultimate Moderator. What about you guys?"

They look at me with interest. Then the one in the trench coat springs up.

"Ah a fellow man of culture as well, yes? So perfect in many ways!" He compliments. "I am Godot, the Ultimate Authoritarian! We shall rule the world together with perfection in goal!"

 _What the fuck_... I thought. But before I have a chance to respond, the checkered one rises up to his feet.

"Don't leave me out of this Godot. I have to introduce myself as well." He says. "Tell me, have you played chess?"

"Err... sometimes, I guess." I reply, confused.

"You know how there's two colors for a game of chess, right? Black and white would be those colors." He continues on.

"You see, I always play the white pawn, you know why?"

 _Oh no_...

"Because not only does this make white win in chess, it also reflects on who wins in real life, the white race!" He laughs. "I'm Paris, the Ultimate Racist." He then puts out his hand, to which I keep mine at my sides, with a look of disgust towards him.

"It seems he doesn't like you, Paris." Says Godot.

"Yeah that's fine for now, I guess." Paris replies. "Maybe he'll see my view eventually.

...

...

...

_Okay, what the FUCK is this? What kind of academy accepts THIS shit for ultimates?_

I glance back at Kyfa, who was now staring at us with a look of sadness mixed with anger. I wanted to end this conversation quickly, that's for sure.

I look around and notice a person standing next to the courtroom. Bingo, I could easily slip out of this now.

"Err... it was nice meeting you guys I guess? I'm gonna go talk to that guy over there." I say. And I start to walk away.

"Don't forget about my offer to rule the world, friend!" Shouts Godot.

Whatever.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Godot**

**Ultimate Authoritarian**

**Age:21**

**Height: 5'10**

_**Raging Rule: Uses aggressiveness to get his way, can persuade people easier, but can be stopped easily if called out** _

**Paris**

**Ultimate Racist**

(This ultimate will not be put to actual use in the story)

**Age:20**

**Height: 5'9**

_**Roaring Rhetoric: Will try to find your flaws and bring you down with his words, can easily be avoided by choosing to ignore his statements** _

* * *

Walking over to the person by the courtroom. He was definitely taller than me which is surprising, considering the fact everyone I have met has been shorter than me. He wore a light blue jacket and had poofy dark green hair. When I'm about 10 feet away from him, he speaks.

"Curious, isn't it?" He says.

I don't exactly know what he means.

Just then, it's like he reads my mind.

"Look over there," He points to a bunch of wooden racks with glass panels lined up on the wall of the courthouse building. "What do you think those are for?"

I observe each of the racks. There appeared to be 20 in total. Why would someone put these here anyway?

"I don't have the slightest clue." I reply.

"That's the beauty of not knowing things," He says. Closing his eyes. "You get to solve the mystery behind it."

"I'm already trying to solve the mystery of why I was brought here after being kidnapped." I say.

"I suppose we'll find that out eventually as well," He says. "Name?"

"Jamster. Ultimate Moderator. Not that impressive of an ultimate, but better than those 2 douchebags over there." I point to Godot and Paris.

"It doesn't matter what type of talent you have, Jamster." He opens his eyes and turns to face me. "It's how much effort you put into it. That's what makes it impressive."

"I guess your right," I sigh. "Anyways, you wanna introduce yourself?"

"I'm Synical, the Ultimate Chill. The explanation is in the name." He tells me.

"I see. Guess there isn't much else to talk about then." I say. "I'm gonna go back to the Town Square to meet up with my friends. Wanna join me?"

He smirks. "Making friends already? I'll catch up to you."

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Synical**

**Ultimate Chill**

**Age: 22**

**Height: 6'5**

_**Calming Cope: Always calm, not affected by other gimmicks** _

* * *

I wave goodbye to Synical and then Kyfa, and start to make my way back to the Town Square.

That was quite the mixed bag of people I met. Both Kyfa and Synical seemed like good people.

But was I even getting near solving the mystery of my kidnapping?


	5. Exploration III: Mapping Out This Mystery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haven't updated this for awhile. Sorry about that.

Honestly I don't think I would get used to this anytime soon.

Why the hell did some people have such weird ultimates? Was it normal for the academy to accept ultimates like that?

I remember back to when I did research about the academy. They claimed they've been running the academy for over 20 years. So were they just desperate to find people good at something?

I don't have time to figure out the answer to my question, as I'm already back at the town square.

Looking around, I notice nobody else in sight. Crumpet and Kessler must've gone to meet with other people as well. Guess I'll just find some more people also. To the cafeteria!

The path to the cafeteria was right next to the courtroom path anyway. Ameji is probably still there.

Nothing eventful happened while walking down the path, but I do notice a few more statues that looked awfully similar to the statue at the fountain at the courtroom. Was it perhaps the founder of the academy?

When I arrive at the cafeteria area, I'm left standing in front of a small brick building with a sign labeled _Cafeteria_ above some small metal doors. I gently open the door and walk inside.

The place didn't look too impressive when it came to design. Some tables and chairs lined up in rows like your typical school cafeteria or store food court, but what did impress me was the food options I saw. You could be even the pickiest eater and have a satisfying lunch. Okay, enough food analysis, I'm not on Chopped. Time to meet some new people.

Scanning the room, I see four people each doing their own thing. Two people seemed to be having a conversation, one looking quite uncomfortable, another person was playing around with a knife, and the last person was just eating a salad.

Okay, so using PEMDAS, the square root of Pluto, and basic knowledge, I figured that the guy eating the salad would be the safest to talk with. That only delays the inevitable, though.

I slowly approach the guy, who didn't even take notice as he was too busy devouring his salad like it was a Thanksgiving meal.

Oh man this guy looks absolutely built, he finitely hits the gym every day. He also has a buzz cut. Got to get fit for deployment I guess.

This guy's ultimate could be good.

"Hey..." I say

***CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP***

"I wanted to-"

***CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP***

"HELLO?!?!?!" I yell. The guy finally looks up with a salad leaf in his mouth and pops a goofy smile.

"Oh hi!" He says. "How are you?"

"I'm good," I reply. "I wanted to introduce myself. Gotta get to know everyone, y'know?"

He nods.

"Anyways," I continue. "I'm Jamster, the Ultimate Moderator. What about you?"

"My name Dunch! Ultimate Idiot!" He happily replies.

...

...

 _God fucking_ _damnit_

"Well, nice to meet you Dunch," I say. "How exactly did you get that title?"

"Title?"

"Your Ultimate."

"Oh, Ultimate! I fail school and couldn't get job!" He says happily. He sure is optimistic for such a negative thing. "But I redeem self by exercise! I get fit so I be happy!"

_Ah... Interesting..._

"Brawn over brains, then. I respect that." I say.

"Brawn?"

"Never mind," I quickly reply. "Anyways, it was nice to meet you, Dunch. I hope we can get to know each other." I say.

"Dunch hope so also!" He happily replies. I start to walk away and a few seconds later I hear him chomping away at his salad again.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Dunch**

**Ultimate Idiot**

**Age:25**

**Height: 6'4**

_**Incapable Idiocy: Less knowledgeable, but will ask more questions that could possibly affect the case** _

* * *

I took a look at the remaining people in the cafeteria, seems they were all doing their things still except the guy messing with the knife was being more aggressive with it. Why is he stabbing the knife in the spaces between his fingers?

I'll just go over to the two having a conversation.

I walk up to the table their both sitting at and hear a bit of their conversation.

"Dude, you're telling me you haven't played volume 4? It just dropped a few weeks ago! I'll gift it to you if you don't buy it."

"How many fucking times have I said I don't play that shit? Do you have ears?"

"C'mon! You're just in denial! This is the **good** stuff we're talking about! Every motion in 240fps! Absolutely stunning!"

Seems like they're talking about video games? It's nice to have a few gamers around.

I take a seat on the opposite side of the table. The guy on the left who was talking about playing games had black hair with bangs over his eyes. For some reason he looked like a generalization of people put into a single person. The guy on the right looked like the conversation had wore him down quite a bit. He had a frown on his face.

"Yooooo," Says the guy on the left. "What's up bro? You an Ultimate guy also?" "What's your favorite doujin?"

I decided to ignore that last part. "Yeah, I'm an Ultimate also." I reply.

"Which would be..."

"Ultimate Moderator."

"Oh MAN! A moderator! You wouldn't want to monitor me, that's for sure!" He exclaims.

"You can say that again." Says the guy of the right.

The guy on the left starts talking again. "What's your name?"

"Jamster."

"Ooo! Cool name! Sounds like the name for an epic MC! I'm Sodium, the Ultimate Degenerate!"

At this point I'm not surprised.

"And I'm Cake, the Ultimate Vituperator." Says the guy on the right.

"Vituperator?" I say. "What does that me-"

"It means I'm a harsh person. Pick up a dictionary next time, dumbass." He interjects.

"So what kind of things are you into, Jamster?" Asks Sodium.

"Well, I like to game a lot with my friends." I reply.

"Ooo! What kind of games? I got a lot of games we could play! One of my favorites is ko-"

"OKAYYYY, I DON' THINK HE LIKES THOSE KIND OF GAMES." Cake interrupts. "Read the fucking room, man."

"What's wrong with talking about our tastes, Cake?" Says Sodium.

"Dude, you know **exactly** why, especially considering your ultimate!"

"I CAN STILL HAVE GOOD TASTES ALONG WITH MY ULTIMATE." Sodium yells back at Cake.

Both of them then continued to yell at each other about random things. Sodium yelling about a lot of odd things in the process.

Okay... I think it's a good time for me to leave these two.

I slip away from the two as they continue yelling at each other.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Sodium**

**Ultimate Degenerate**

**Age: 20**

**Height: 5'11**

**_Downplayed Degeneracy: Will try to talk about odd and often explicit topics with no bounds of language, Does not take situations seriously_ **

**Cake**

**Ultimate Vituperator**

**Age: 21**

**Height: 5'10**

_**Daunting Disappointment: Uses bitterness and a cold personality to shut others out, less details can be pried from him** _

* * *

Well, there's only one person left in the cafeteria to talk to. I'm assuming this guy is going to be some sort of edgelord, especially since now he was near stabbing his hand at this point.

I walk to over to where the edgelord is sitting and stand in front of him. He has red spiky hair. Like Esteban's hair but even more spikier. He also had dark-tinted rectangular glasses.

"Hey." I say.

He looks up at me and cracks a devilish grin. "Oh hello there."

"Are you trying to act unique or something? Playing with a knife like that only gets you hurt." I question him.

"Oh, it's just part of who I am." He replies, pushing his glasses to his face.

"Part of your ultimate?" I assume.

"Bingo!"

"I see, so then what is your ultimate?"

"Ultimate Sadist. Your pain is my gain." He cracks another smile.

"I see. That's a very interesting ultimate, er..."

"Marti. Marti is the name."

"Thanks. I should probably introduce myself also. I'm Jamster the Ultimate Moderator. I just want to meet everyone and hopefully stay on good terms. With most of the people here at least."

"Not trying to make enemies?" Asks Marti. "Quite lame if you ask me! You get to completely destroy and humiliate your enemies once you beat them!" He rambles. "But for now, I'll keep you on good terms." He puts out his hand.

I hesitantly shake his hand. "Okay, seems like that's settled," I say. What do you do as a sadist anyway?"

"All sorts of things! But most of them have to do with pain and humiliation, whether physically or emotionally. I have no boundaries." He explains.

"Intersting." I reply.

I'll keep my eye out for this guy just in case. He seems like all bark right now but I won't take that for granted.

"Well, guess I'll get going. I plan on meeting everyone." I say to Marti.

"Say hi to them for me, will you?" He says as he goes back to playing with his knife.

"Will do." I sigh.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Marti**

**Ultimate Sadist**

**Age: 23**

**Height: 6'0**

_**Sadistic Sendings: Will randomly go on creepy ramblings, These ramblings could either contain nonsense or important case details** _

* * *

Before I exit the cafeteria, I quickly go to the food area and take a look for something quick to eat. Man, they had anything you could imagine!

I decide on a granola bar and stride out of the building.

I guess it's back to the Town Square. There shouldn't be too many people left to meet.

Everyone seems to be interesting in their own ways, whether that's good or bad, but I just might be able to work with this.

I hope for the best, though. There are still some things left that I need to figure out.


	6. Exploration IV: Here We Reside

Putting the pieces together didn't help me with anything.

There wasn't anything to help me figure out why we were all brought to Zero Academy in such a mysterious way. The truth felt further away than when I woke up. The confusion of it all just kept raining upon my thoughts. Thoughts on why we haven't seen any staff for the academy, thoughts on why such odd buildings were needed for an academy, and so much more. Also the fact that this place accepted such odd people. I don't even think Sherlock Holmes would have lead on this. I just wish I was back to gaming with my friends at this point.

_Wait..._

_My friends..._

Now that I think about it... uh...

What? What the hell? Did that bonk I receive to my skull give me memory loss or something? I can't remember anything about them, not even their voices or commonly used profile pictures. These fuckers are gonna owe me some sort of memory therapy. There's another thing to answer. Wait, what games did I play again?

Well there was Double Duels...

and...

...

FUCK

Worse than I thought, might have to take a detour to the nurse's office. Actually, that can wait. I'll just meet the last few members of the academy.

I had an uneventful walk like usual. You get tired of seeing the same thing of grass and statues. Arriving back at the town square, quite a few people are back, including some new ones. I saw Ameji and Myth talking to some of the people I haven't met. Wait, where was Ameji at the cafeteria? He was supposed to have gone there. Curiosity doesn't kill, but it is annoying.

I walk a few of the other members chatting and eventually reach Ameji. He glances in my direction and nods.

"Hey Jamster, how was the courtroom?"

"Good," I reply. "I'm still wondering why this place needs a courtroom, but I hope that's answered soon enough. Oh yeah, where were you anyway? I didn't see you at the cafeteria."

"I'll answer that after I introduce this guy to ya. Don't wanna leave him hanging."

The new guy waves. "Hey there. I'm Ultra, the Ultimate VN Player."

I introduce myself then ask him, "A visual novel player?" I ask. "Isn't that just another way of saying you click a button for 50 hours?"

"I guess you could say that," He replies. "There is a catch, though."

"What would that be?"

"I don't remember anything about any visual novels," He sights. "I must've played a ton to get this ultimate, though."

"So a sort of amnesia?" I ask him.

"No. Literally amnesia. I can barely remember anything. I can't remember my family, friends or other activities I did. The only thing I remember is my name and age." He rambles.

"Damn, that must suck," I reply. I feel bad for him. I can't imagine all your memories being wiped away within the blink of an eye. "Do you think it has to do with how we got here? I actually can't remember anything about some of my friends or what games I played."

"Now that you mention it," Ameji answers, "I haven't been able to recall much about my friends either. The only one I remember specific details about would be my gambling partner, Kenji."

"I see," I start to think. "Perhaps it was just a side effect of how we were brought here, but can you answer my question now, Ameji?"

"Sure thing," He starts. "I made my introduction pretty quick to the people inside the cafeteria so I went to go check out my lab. You know, those things on the map. I was hoping for some pachinko machines at least. Well, once I had arrived at my lab, I couldn't even get into it. The doors were locked! Aren't I supposed to have good luck as the Ultimate Gambler?"

So the labs are a no-go for now...

"Maybe they're locked until the opening ceremony," Ultra proposes. "The staff might think it would be rude of us to start without them."

"But I haven't even seen any staff." I question.

"Yeah, that's what I'm wondering," Ultra agrees. "I guess it's like those summer camps where things start at a certain time."

That's a theory I can get behind for now.

"Anyways," I say. "I'm gonna go talk to Myth. See ya."

Ameji and Ultra wave as I start looking for Myth.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Ultra**

**Ultimate Visual Novel Player**

**Age: 22**

**Height: 5'10**

_**Vital Visuals: Has forgotten all of his personal life, but when he remembers things, they add to the pieces of solving the mystery** _

* * *

It didn't take too long to find Myth, considering how the light blue hair and his shortness made him stick out. Getting closer, he looked quite frustrated with a guy who was sitting on a bench. Wonder what the issue could be.

"Hey." I say, walking up to Myth.

"Jamster! Thank god your here! I don't know what's up with this guy!"

The guy had paler then average skin and short pink hair. Besides that, nothing else stood out too much.

I raise an eyebrow. "Is he bothering you?"

"Well no," Myth replies "I just can't this guy to work with me at all. He'll disagree with almost everything I say."

"You just don't see things the same," The guy says. "Try to think different sometimes."

"Mind introducing yourself?" I ask him.

"I'm Sans, and my ultimate is the Ultimate Contrarian."

I chuckle. "See Myth? This is why he disagrees with you. You should've asked him about his ultimate first."

"Me having that ultimate isn't why I disagree with him. It's my personal viewpoints." Sans quickly snaps back.

"They go hand in hand" I say.

"They don't **need** to be related to each other." He replies in a sharper tone.

"Well, I don't want to start another argument so I'll just stop there." I turn to Myth. "What was the garden like?"

"Amazing!" He says ecstatically. "All the plants and flowers were beautiful to look at! There was also this giant willow tree in the middle that looked like it could be as old as Moses!"

"Although I don't think that it stood out, the smell of the roses were nice." Admits Sans.

"I'll have to check it out for myself later on, then." I express.

I then introduce myself to Sans.

"The Ultimate Moderator..."

"I know, it's dumb." I sigh.

"Well, not really." He replies. "Considering there's an Ultimate Racist, yours isn't the dumbest thing ever."

"Well, thanks for cheering me up at least." I say.

"Best I can do."

Out of the corner of my eye I notice a guy who seems to be standing by himself.

I point to him. "Have you guys talked with him yet?"

They both confirm they have.

"I feel bad for him," Says Sans. Myth also nods his head.

"Could use a little cheering up, maybe?" I question.

"Good luck with that." Sighs Sans.

"I want to meet everyone here anyway, nothing to lose." I confidently reply.

I say my goodbyes to Myth and Sans and head over to the guy who's alone.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Sans**

**Ultimate Contrarian**

**Age: 19**

**Height: 6'1**

_**Disagreement Dynamo: Will always disagree, only agrees when refuted with solid** **evidence** _

* * *

Even after getting around 5 feet away from him, he still doesn't seem to notice me. That's odd. Guess I'll get his attention.

"Yo."

"EEYAAAAAAAH" He jumps, then turns around. "Oh sorry," He frowns. "Didn't hear you."

"I can tell." I laugh.

Looking at him, his clothing style is definitely the most unique out of everyone I've seen. He's wearing a white kimono with red line patterns, and has a flower with red petals on the right side of the chest area. He also has ruffled yellow hair.

"Why are you talking to me anyway? You want something from me?" He questions.

"No, not at all. I'm just getting to know everyone here." I reply.

"Oh..." He trails off. "Usually, people don't care to ask me about myself." His frown starts to turn into a small grin. "But it's nice when someone does. Risk the Ultimate Disappointment here at your needs!"

"Disappointment..." I say. " _No wonder they felt bad._ " I whisper to myself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." I quickly reply. "Anyways, how did you get your ultimate?"

His smile turns back into a frown. "Well, I think it was really just my overall social life. In terms of that, I completely failed with it. I barely have any friends in real life, and I always seem to eventually cut ties with online friends one way or another."

His expression was like Kessler's but if somebody ran over his dog. Sheesh, I better do something.

"I see," I frown. "Well Risk, I have a proposal for you. I can be your friend!"

This makes him perk up again. I knew I could cheer him up!

"That would be nice," He says. "You don't need to force yourself, though."

I smile. "Don't worry, this is genuine." I then put out my hand. He puts out his and we shake hands, establishing a (hopefully) good friendship.

I was about to ask more things about him but I get interrupted by some shouting. I look back to see a guy and a... girl? fighting.

Huh, so there actually women here. Well, she might be the only one. Never mind that, it seems the shouting matched escalated into something physical. That's not good.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Risk, but I have to help with the commotion over there."

He sighs. "Nice meeting you also. Don't forget our friendship, please."

I then start running to where the fight is. Why do I always have to play hero?

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Risk**

**Ultimate Disappointment**

**Age: 17**

**Height: 6'0**

_**Directive Disappointment: Accepts the state he's in, will try to hold opinions but eventually caves in, easy to persuade** _

* * *

When I arrive at the scene what I see is a guy grabbing the arms of the girl while she's trying to back away.

"What the hell is going on here?" I yell.

"Thank god, someone else is here." The girl sighs. "Would you mind telling this guy to fuck off?"

"What exactly happened?" I ask.

"We got into an argument." They both say in sync.

"It seems like everyone here has had at least one." I facepalm.

"About women's rights." They say in sync as well.

"The fuck?"

"Ultimate E-Girl" "Ultimate Misogynist" They both say in sync YET AGAIN. Those ultimates explain a lot though.

"Perhaps you two should set aside your differences so everyone can get along," I suggest. "Anyways, lets introduce ourselves properly."

We go ahead and do that and get things cleared up. The Ultimate Misogynist is named Helck and the Ultimate E-Girl is named June.

"Yeah sorry about, I usually take women with a grain of salt." Says Helck. "I don't want to cause anymore trouble now. Don't wanna be kicked out the first day here."

"I'll think about accepting your apology." June pouts.

Ok so counting it up, from the cafeteria, courtroom, and town square, and including me, that makes 19 people. Just like the chart says.

"Seems like you're the only female here, June." I inform her.

"I figured that." She frowns.

Just then, we could hear somebody right behind us.

_"HOLY FUCK IT'S A WOMAN!"_

_"Oh no, DUNCH HOLD HIM!"_

The voices of Crumpet and Kessler. When I turn around I see both of them, but Dunch has Kessler's arms locked, preventing him from going anywhere.

"LET ME GO YOU DUMBFUCK! I AM LITERALLY RYAN GOSLING! I NEED A WOMAN IN MY LIFE." Screams Kessler.

Crumpet walks up to us. "Sooooo, you remember that incident I mentioned? This is one of the side effects."

"He's worse than me." laughs Helck.

"You realize you're literally the Ultimate Misogynist. You're just as bad as him." June snaps back.

"I guess that's true. Although I do discard opinions from women." Helck cracks a smile. June looks like she's about to explode.

* * *

**Information Obtained**

**Helck**

**Ultimate Misogynist**

**Height: 5'11**

**Age: 18**

_**Belief Bargain: Will try to bring others to his side by using his beliefs (Especially about women)** _

**June**

**Ultimate E-Girl**

**Height: 5'9**

**Age: 17**

_**Swift Seductiveness: Can cause people to become more deluded due to manipulation skills** _

* * *

There's a little bit more talking among us, meanwhile Crumpet and Dunch are trying to calm down Kessler, who's still attempting to break free from the arm lock. Looking around I can see Godot and Paris doing some kind of handshake, Risk seems to be venting to Myth about something, and Sodium, along with Esteban, are annoying the hell out of Cake and Sans. Everything is going well until the siren in the middle of the town square starts going off with high pitch noises. It then clicks a few times and goes silent for a few seconds before we hear a deep, masculine voice.

_Hello, is this thing on?_

_Testing... One... Two... Seventy-Eight..._

_Okay seems were up!_

_*Ahem* Hello to the 19 members of Zero Academy, and congratulations on getting here! Hopefully you all got to meet each other and talk with your peers, as you'll be with these people for quite awhile. You may also have some questions, specifically about why you arrived here in such an odd fashion. Well that, and more will be answered with the opening ceremony! You'll get all the information you need about the school, your schedules, and your own copy of how to win online arguments about politics! So please head on down to the Teaching and Training Area for the ceremony. See you there!_

"Oh man, we finally get to start. Let's start off with a bang!" Shouts Sodium.

"Ha ha ha... I won't need that book, but this sounds fun." Laughs Godot.

"I don't see the point of a ceremony, I just wish to start developing my talent as soon as possible. But I'll do what I have to." Says Sans disappointingly.

For me personally, I finally get to figure out my questions. Maybe I was just to suspicious of this place.

And with this, me and the 18 other members of the academy began to walk to the Teaching and Training Area.


	7. Side Conversations I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing a new gimmick to the story: Side Conversations! These conversations will be posted around three times per chapter and will feature interactions between different characters. They can feature the main character, but it is mostly intended for the other characters. These will be used to reveal backstories, status, and how the members feel about each other. There is also a possibility that the conversations will be mentioned in the main story. Let me know if you like it!

_Everyone is at the town square at this point of the story_

Why did I get accepted?

I do nothing but let people down in my life. The only reason I applied was because my parents forced me to. But even then, what was there to accomplish? Nothing I did could build myself or others up. All I did was bring down the ones around me to my level unintentionally. It feels like a fate sealed upon me ever since I came into this world. Nothing but sounds of the people around me pushing me out for all of my life. Nowhere to go, nothing to do, nobody to talk to. Even the people here didn't seem to willing, even when they had something in common with me. Although, there was a ray that shined down through these clouds of fate. Jamster asking to be my friend. But why would he do that? I told him he didn't have to try and befriend me but he did so anyway. Was there truly anything worthy about me that people would want to be friends with me? Or is it that people really just want friends for the sake of a friendship? Maybe there were other outcasts like me here. Some other people misunderstood. Although I thi-

And just like that, my thinking suddenly ceased when a hand softly gripped my arm.

"YAAAAA" I yell, jumping back. This was a typical response to sudden things like that. I wasn't used to being touched at all and was generally uncomfortable with that. This was the second time this has happened here.

"Hi!" Says a high pitched voice behind me. I whip myself around and I'm greeted by a short boy wearing a gray t-shirt and blue tie. I had seen him around here a bit ago but now it seems he wanted to talk to me, at least that's what I think he wants. "How are you? Do you like this place? I like it also!" He was quick to ask me things without getting my response. Man, he is just so short. I can't resist being a bit playful.

I ruffle his light blue hair and tease him. "What are you doing here? This place for older people. Do you need help getting back home?"

He pushes my hand off of him "I'm 16 dummy! Probably not much younger than you!" He was right about that. I was only 17. He was **very** short for his age.

"Well anyways, I'm Myth! What about you?" He asks

"Risk," I reply. "I'm literally the Ultimate Disappointment so that sucks." I frown.

"Don't feel bad about yourself! We all have unique ultimates here. I'm the Ultimate Femboy, and that's way different than the Ultimate Gambler or Ultimate Contrarian." Scolds Myth. "Don't judge your value based on your ultimate!"

"Well it isn't just that. I've been quite shut out all of my life, left to think for myself." I ramble. "Nobody to vent to or to comfort me."

"Sounds like you need someone for that. I can do it!" Offers Myth.

"No thanks," I say. "I wouldn't want to put that burden on you."

"I never said there was an option!"

"Huh?"

"Your going to come to me whenever you need to lift something off of your chest! You always need someone in your life to support you!" He rambles.

"And if I don't?" I ask.

"Then you'll make me sad!" He makes a pouty face. "You wouldn't want that, would you?" He starts to stare at me with puppy dog eyes. Seems I truly don't have an option at this point.

"Okay," I sigh. "I'll come to you for those things." I'm more worried about making him sad at this point.

"Awesome!" He cheers. "I hope you stay true to your word! Otherwise I'll be sad!" Guilt really is convincing, it seems.

"Well I'm going to talk to Ameji, see you!" He waves and runs off as if he fixed the world.

...

...

_Someone to lean my head on. To vent to them about the life I've experienced._

_That doesn't seem so bad after all._

_Thank you, Myth._

* * *

This place seems interesting to say the least. A place shrouded with beauty and concepts. But what is it that makes beauty? Our perception of things, perhaps? I liked the idea of attending an academy to improve on the things I already considered natural. Was it really special just to be calm about things? Maybe the idea that you can funnel so much emotion into who you are on the outside. Or maybe it was the exact opposite. Pushing out all other emotions so you only exert one. The idea of how basic human functions could be hard to manipulate like that, it was bizarre. We can't manage basic control of our feelings, all because of how our brain works. Maybe I was just built different from other people, looking so cold, expression changing as much as a stone. But people seem to forget it's not on the outside that matters. But that just sounds cliché.

Staring at the statue didn't give me any sort of satisfaction. All these people talking with each other and getting to know each other so fast. Hearing all the chatter in the square until I hear some footsteps approaching me.

"Hey there." I greet the person.

They stand there, silent. Probably stunned by how I was suddenly able to detect their presence.

"H-hello." He says. "Me Dunch."

"Ah, yes. Dunch. Jamster told me about you. You sound like a good guy." I explain. "Think you could come a bit closer?"

He slowly walks up until he's standing side by side with me, staring at the statue as well.

"Dunch want to know about members here." He tells me.

"And why would that be?"

"So Dunch make friend."

I chuckle. "Just like Jasmter, huh?"

Dunch's face lights up. "Jamster cool! He moderate thing! I wish I be like him!"

"Jamster doesn't seem like too bad of a guy," I say. "Seems like an outgoing sort of fellow."

"Dunch want to know who you are! You seem cool like Jamster!"

"I am the Ultimate Chill after all," I state. "My name is Synical." He was most likely looking for that answer, but I don't really see those two as the same. Sure, the two seem to be grouped together quite often, but you have to remember they're quite different.

"Synical good name!" Expresses Dunch. "Do you like my name?"

"Yes, I like your name, Dunch."

"Dunch want to know more about Synical." He explains.

"Such as?"

"Anything! Dunch don't care what it is!"

Well, this does give me something to do. Someone to talk to for now and hear their story. No downsides.

"Sure thing Dunch. But you have to tell me more about you as well." I reply.

"Dunch okay with that!"

And thus, me and Dunch began to talk about what makes ourselves, and our stories.

* * *

"And that's all I remember." Explains Ultra.

"Wow, so you truly did lose your memories? How do I know you're not just lying to me?" Asks Sans.

"Well, you can really only trust me, and from what I've seen, you're only convinced by proof, so it's up for you to decide."

"Well, I'll have to ponder on that," Sighs Sans. "I'm always critical of these types of things."

"There was one thing I want from you," Ultra asks Sans. "Help."

"Help with what exactly?"

"Getting my memories back."

Sans starts to glare at him.

"...I don't exactly know how to help you with that, but I can try. But I'm going to opt out the minute I think you're talking bullshit."

"So it's a deal then." Confirms Ultra.

"Yes."

They both decided to shake on the agreement. Who knows if they'll be able to recover Ultra's faded memories.

And that's when the siren sounded.


	8. Let The Game Begin!

The chattering amongst the group only grew on the walk to the Teaching and Training Area. Most were talking about what they thought the academy's program was going to consist of, how they were going to improve their ultimates, and where their dorm was at in the dorm building. However, I was just wanting to know why the hell they had to kidnap me to get me to this academy. It simply doesn't add up. Someone did seem to notice my confusion and tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey Jams," It was Ameji, of course. "You good?"

"Ah, yea." I assure him. "Still wondering about our arrival."

"It's something that you can lift off your shoulders. You heard the guy, right?"

"I don't know... it all just seems unorganized and mysterious." I ponder.

"It's an academy for ultimates, we haven't been to one of these before so there's bound to be something different than your average program." He explains.

"Well... I guess." I was going to find out shortly anyway, so I'll just stick to that for now.

The only other things I could hear were various tidbits out of peoples conversations as we neared the area.

_"I got a dorm next to Paris! Praise our glorious ruler here at Zero Academy!"_

_"Hey Cake! Watch this! NYOOM!"_

_"Shut the FUCK UP Esteban!"_

_"♫ Day 'n Nite. The lonely stoner seems to free his mind at night. ♫"_

_"After what happened 10 minutes ago, please don't let your brother around me."_

_"Kessler is just misunderstood, June. I do understand your concern though, so I'll keep an eye out."_

_"I hope my ultimate lab has a shit ton of eroges!"_

_"Heh, you're definitely some kind of weeb fuck with that kimono of yours. Dumbass."_

_"I... just find it comfortable to wear, Kessler..."_

It wasn't too long before we arrived at the Teaching and Training area. Everyone looked at each other with looks varying from confidence to nervousness. The building for the Teaching and Training area now has a sign above it that says _Please enter into the first classroom on the left_.

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for?" Asks Sans. "Open the damn door."

Marti, who was leading the way this whole time, smiles and props open the door for the rest of us to enter, using a hand signal to point to the classroom like he was some sort of servant. We all slowly filed into the classroom and each of us found a random desk to sit at. Once everybody was seated, Marti walked in, closed the door, and took a seat as well. I never took the time to look at this classroom when I woke up here. Looking at it now, it had a sort of modern look to it and the smartboard thing looked like a sort of giant, flat screen television. Then, all of a sudden, the lights went out, and a variety of colorful LED lights spun around the area. Music began to play, consisting of several trumpets and percussion instruments. Looking around, many of the members are quite impressed with this, and I can attest that it seemed a little bit over the top. The music started to get louder and louder, the bass felt like it was cranked to the max, everything seemed to be going up in volume until a voice is finally heard amidst the audio.

_♫ AND HIS NAME IS CENAKUMA!!! ♫_

The trumpets now blared a chrous. Confetti shot from the ceiling and rained down upon me and the other members. I could see Ameji laughing, acting like he just won a high stakes game of Mahjong. Other members were just stunned at this point. The television then started to slowly move up, revealing a giant stage behind it.

_♫ Your time is up, my time is now ♫_

A sign then lit up at the top of the revealed stage reading _20th Academy Class_ as if this was some sort of special occasion. It was cool to see that we were the twentieth class to go through this academy, though.

_♫ You can't see me, my time is now ♫_

2 spotlights then light up the middle of the stage as if implying someone should be there, but nobody was there. The music starts to fade, and eventually we're left with an empty stage, and all of us waiting in anticipation.

"Howdy, folks!" The same voice that had been on the siren earlier, now echoed across the room, with what seemed to be no speaker.

"GH-GHOST!" Yells Dunch, starting to shake.

"Seems this person really lived up to their theme song's lyrics." Synical remarks.

"...Dammit! I forgot to put on my visibility cloak!" The voice exclaims. We then hear a button being pressed and then an odd figure appears. What the fuck is this abomination.

"Sorry about that folks." He apologizes.

What I was greeted with was probably the weirdest thing I have ever seen. From the lyrics of the song we just heard, this would probably be Cenakuma. An actual abomination. Where did he even get that name from anyway?

"Anyways," He continues. "My name is Cenakuma and I will be your instructor here at Zero Academy. I'm a robot bear based off one of the greatest people in the world named John Cena. Any questions about me before I go on?"

"Yes," Says Helck. "Are you okay? Do you need help? You look like your designed to only feel pain. I could try and get some help for you." Cenakuma then makes an angry face.

"Hey! You better watch it, smartass! I feel completely healthy and am perfectly comfortable with how I look. You shouldn't insult people's appearances!"

"Alright then, Cena." Helck replies, brushing off the warning.

"Continuing on, I hope you got to know all of your classmates very well. You'll be spending a lot of time with them in this academy during the game."

"...Did you say game?" Asks Cake, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you guys. You'll all be participating in a killing game, forced to murder each other! Pohohoho!"

"Is this some kind of inside joke?" Asks Ultra.

"Not at all!" Replies Cenakuma excitingly.

"So you're telling me you want us to kill each other? Hahaha! That's bologna!" Exclaims Esteban.

"Dunch also think Cenakuma making joke." Adds Dunch.

"I'll third that, if you want to convince me of participating in a killing game, show me proof that we're actually in one." Says Sans.

It's like what just Sans shot off a rocket inside of Cenakuma. Cenakuma cracks a devilish smile, with his left eye starting to glow red. "Oh you want proof, do ya?! I'll show you proof!" Cenakuma then presses a button on the stage wall. Seconds later, I feel the ground rumbling beneath me. This rumbling continues on for about 10 more seconds and suddenly stops. Then part of the wall suddenly implodes, greeting us with a robot that has a holograph of Cenakuma as it's head. Me, as well as the other members are left speechless, staring at this thing.

"This robot is essentially a clone of my program, Cena OS! It is completely under my control and will do anything that I tell it to do. Observe. Cena-Bot, dance!" The robot then starts to do an odd dance... it's the fucking cha cha slide. After the robot does a few stomps to the left and right, it stops, waiting its next command. "I could command this thing to harm or even kill you guys if I wanted to, but I'm a nice bear! As long as you follow my rules, that is." Glancing in different directions, I specifically noticed that Myth's face had gone pale, Marti had one of the biggest smiles I had ever seen, and Sans still looked suspiciously towards the robot.

"Hmm, ok then. I guess that's enough proof for now." Replies Sans.

"DUDE IT'S A GIANT FUCKING ROBOT, WHAT MORE PROOF DO YOU NEED?!" Yells Kessler.

"Just have a bit of a hunch." Says Sans, in a thinking pose.

"Cena-Bot, go lay down!" Cenakuma shouts. The robot then turns around and sprint towards the town square. "Just to let you know, I have several of these guys in storage, so don't think destroying him helps you."

"...So this is it, huh? A killing game? You sicko." I insult Cenakuma.

"Pohohoho! Exactly! And I have everything sorted out! Here, catch!" Cenakuma then throws each of us a tablet. I turn mine on when I catch it and am greeted with several different things.

_Killing Game Rules, Class Trial Rules, Academy Map, Member Info, Ultimate Labs_

"Please tap the _Killing Game Rules_ button and I'll explain to you guys each rule of the game." Instructs Cenakuma. I navigate to the desired section, waiting for the others to follow along. Once everyone seems there, Cenakuma starts his explanation.

"Rule Number One: Academy Days are from 8am to 10pm, all water will be shut off after this time, and the cafeteria, the teaching and training area, and the ultimate labs will be locked until the next Academy Day starts."

"Rule Number Two: The person responsible for the murder of another member is the one who inflicts the killing blow."

"Rule Number Three: You cannot kill more than two members, anymore and you will get a humiliating death!"

"Rule Number Four: Any attempt to hurt Cenakuma will result in severe consequences!"

"Rule Number Five: When three people see a dead body, an announcement will be made and all survivors will be called to the murder area."

"Rule Number Six: If the body announcement requirement is met after Academy Day hours, an announcement will not be made, but the body will be considered 'discovered'. It is up to the people who found the body to inform the others in the morning or at whatever time is convenient."

"And that's the rules of the killing game!" Cenakuma says happily. Wow. He has this planned out to every detail.

"Question," Asks Paris. "What exactly is the class trial rules?"

"I was just about to get to that!" Exclaims Cenakuma. "Everyone please tap the button with _Class Trial Rules_ on it!" Once everyone is there, he clears his throat and acts like he's stepping onto a soap box.

"When a body is reported, everyone will get an evidence file containing information about the murder. There will be an investigation period for you guys to try and gather information to find the killer, and then a class trial will be held in the courtroom."

So that's what the courtroom was for. Trying to find which one of us would be a killer.

"Here are the class trial rules."

"During a Class Trial, you will attempt to find out who the killer or _Blackened_ is, and vote for them. If you vote correctly, only the Blackened will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong person, everyone besides the blackened will be punished, and the blackened will get to escape this academy!" Explains Cenakuma. "I don't think I need to explain the other features to you, so explore those on your own.

Everyone was left speechless. Not sure how to react. I wasn't sure how to react myself. I felt anger, confusion, and fear all at the same time.

The first person to break the silence was Risk. He looked teary-eyed when he spoke. "You mean th-this isn't a some kind of prank? We have to kill each other?"

"Correctomendo, disappointment!" Cheers Cenakuma. "It's a free for all!"

Everyone was left staring at each other with suspicion at this point. However, Synical spoke up.

He pointed directly at Cenakuma "What exactly makes you think we're gonna kill each other for your own entertainment? You're off your rocker."

"That brings me to my last point. Motives!" Cenakuma cheers.

"Motives?"

"That's right." He cracks yet another smile. "Motives to win."

Cenakuma was really about to shift this game into full gear. How could someone be so evil to pull something like this?

"I'll be introducing things to push people towards trying to win the killing game," He explains. "I'll do usually do this when I feel it's gone to long without someone dying. I'll actually introduce the first motive right now. You guys know about how your missing quite a bit of your memory?"

Everyone looked around and nodded.

"Well actually I'm missing basically all my memory." Ultra clarifies.

"You're a special case, sorry!" Cenakuma replies. "But for the first motive, if someone is killed within a week and the blackened successfully gets away with it, the blackened will have their memory completely restored! You'll understand why this killing game is going on, along with the luxury of returning to your family unscathed!"

He was trying to bribe us with the memories we lost. Shit, who knows how far people will go to restore such an important piece of our mind such as our memories.

"Anyways, I'll be going now! Enjoy the killing!" States Cenakuma.

"Wait!" I exclaim. But it was too late, Cenakuma had already disappeared from my sight.

And we were left with nothing but silence amongst the group.

A killing game we have to participate in. Forced to kill the ones we thought would be our companions for the time we were here.

It all felt so terrible. Why would such a thing happen? What would fuel a game like this?

That's when I hear Marti's laugh.

"Hee hee. Seems like I got some planning to do." He laughs.

"Perhaps we should just interrogate you here and now, Ultimate Sadist." Cake says coldly.

But before anyone could do anything, the sadist quickly withdrew from the group, going who knows where.

"I suppose I can't trust any of you for now. I shall make my departure as well." Sans states.

"I'll be coming with you, you still have that promise." Ultra tells him.

I couldn't help but feel curious as to what promise that was.

Sans and Ultra made their exit and headed towards the town square.

"Come on, shouldn't we all work together? We need to survive this no matter what!" Myth shouts.

He's only left with silence and the occasional movements of one of the members until Ameji joins in. "I agree with Myth. We should be a team!"

I smile at the two. The two I've talked with most, banding together in a crisis like this. It was nice to see.

I also announce my agreement with their statement, along with Kyfa and Dunch.

The rest of the members who didn't join in our alliance depart to their desired destinations. But I see Synical wink at me before he leaves, knowing of our good intentions.

"So..." Ameji starts. "What should we do?"

**A killing game forced upon them. Forced to kill the ones they had seen as companions.**

**A motive to recover the past and the lost parts of themselves. Will there be an attempt to win this twisted game?**

**This is Danganronpa ZES: Faded Memories**


	9. Chapter 1: Daily Life I

The question that Ameji proposed left a silence amongst the group.

What could we even do? We couldn't fight back, as we would just immediately be obliterated by Cena-Bot. We also couldn't just sit here, as someone was bound to die this week if we didn't take action. Perhaps the best thing to do was to establish a sort of alliance with all the members here, trying to convince everyone not to kill someone. I decided to blurt out the idea in my head that felt the best for the situation.

"Dinnertime is in a few hours, so why don't we have everyone talk about it over some food? We could clear up any misunderstandings that happened with any of the members.

"That sounds like a good idea, Jamster." Replies Ameji. "That will at least lessen the chances of a murder happening. Any objections?"

We were once again met with silence, confirming that nobody physically opposed my proposition.

"Then it's settled! We'll all meet in the cafeteria in two hours to talk this out." Ameji states with certainty, also mentally establishing among the group that Ameji would most likely be the one leading both the group, and through the hurdles of this treacherous game. "I personally want to check over the academy again for anything that's important that we might've missed. Do any of you want to inform the others about this meeting?"

"Well, I really have nothing to do, so I might as well." Myth replies.

"Dunch want to help also!"

Ameji then looked at me, waiting for my answer to his question.

"I still haven't taken a look at the garden yet," I inform him. "I'd rather take a look at that, and you already have Myth and Dunch helping you out with it."

"I'll accompany Jamster." States Kyfa.

Ameji looks at both of us and nods, giving a thumbs up. "Alright then. It's best to check out everything first, and I don't wanna stop you guys. Okay, everyone go do your thing!"

The group splits up with Ameji going towards the courthouse, Myth and Dunch going in different directions to look for the other, and Me and Kyfa heading towards the garden.

Why did this place even have a garden, anyway? Was there something special about it? Special healing powers? Poisonous plants? Or maybe they just had it for show. It's a garden for fucks sake, why am I overthinking it?

The walk to the garden didn't take too long, but what I was greeted with was a gigantic greenhouse that looked to be at least 750 feet in length, 250 feet in width, and 2 stories high. I had never actually been in a greenhouse before, but I knew this was a more unique one, judging by all the types of plants I could see through the windows.

"It seems someone at this Academy had a liking for nature." I raise an eyebrow in interest.

"My school _did_ have a greenhouse, but not nearly as big as this." Kyfa establishes. "I remember each person in our gardening class would take turns tending to the flowers and the like."

Me and Kyfa open the door to the Greenhouse and are greeted with a warm, humid environment. It felt like one of those summer days where you played with your friends at a birthday party after opening the presents.

Looking into the interior, there are rows of several different types of plants and flowers. From a field of sunflowers, to exotic flowers that looked like they came from the Amazon Rainforest, it had all the things you could imagine. In the middle was a giant willow tree with gleaming green leaves resting on its branches. The tree towered above us, reaching almost all the way to the ceiling of the greenhouse.

"This is amazing!" I exclaim. How did they manage to get all these different sorts of plants all into this one academy? It really made you wonder about they ways they manage to pull things off.

Me and Kyfa started walking around the greenhouse trying to look for anything else the place offered. Eventually, when I'm at the end of one of the rows of plants, I see a shadow to the right.

"JAMSTER!"

I jump back from the yell and am surprised to see Godot there along with Paris standing behind him, sporting a wave.

"What's my future leader doing here at the garden?" Godot puts his hands on my shoulders, as if seeing some sort of potential in me.

"Just checking out some places I didn't get to yet," I answer. "Why is a dictator here at a garden?" I shoot back.

"Oh ho! I don't believe I told you this, but I actually love the ideals of nature. Survival of the fittest being one of them! After studying how nature works, I eventually took a liking and had taken up gardening as one of my hobbies."

"That's rather odd, but interesting." Is all I can muster up. Nothing else to really say.

Godot then picks up a watering can and starts to water some bright blue flowers. "I did some snooping around and found a back room with some gardening tools along with a sprinkler system built into this place. Since I can't really use my authoritarian skills here like I did back in my homeland, I'll probably be in here for most of the day. You may also find Paris in here at certain times."

"Why wouldn't a visit my new buddy of mine every so often?" Paris chuckles.

"Well, that's good for you two, but I also want to inform you that there's going to be a meeting in the cafeteria in an hour, so please try and make it to that." I inform the duo.

The two glance at each other and nod in agreement.

"We'll be sure sure to attend." Godot confirms. "If there isn't anything else, then I'll be going back to tending to the flowers."

The two of them start to talk about some government stuff as I walk away.

Me and Kyfa check out the garden for about a half hour longer, just observing the rest of what the place has to offer.

When we're finished, we exit the building and head towards the town square. Although the greenhouse didn't have much to offer, it was still a nice place to explore.

We eventually reach the town square and find ourselves to be the only ones there. I decide to take a seat on a bench nearby, and Kyfa does as well. I decide to strike up a conversation to pass the time.

"So Kyfa, how did you manage to obtain your ultimate?" I ask him.

"Well, I had always been interested in music and rhythm throughout my childhood, so I had always been trying out new instruments and making my own songs. I have probably tried out all the instruments you can think of. I've disassembled them, put them back together, modified them, I even made some new instruments of my own. However, I eventually ran into a problem, which was convenience when listening to music. All the current things surrounding music require you to carry your device, have an internet connection, and so on. I didn't like that, so I decided to invent these headphones of mine. They store songs right into them without the need for another device. These were probably my greatest breakthrough I've ever had when it came to music. However, I had never decided to try and market it at all, I just kept them for convenience. Then, that's when I saw the application for this academy, and I signed up as the ultimate rhythm."

I have to admit I drifted off a bit, but I got most of it. Maybe he could make me headphones like his eventually?

"What about you, Jamster?"

"Well, I just watch over a small community of mine, that's about it."

"Come on! There's got to be more than that!"

I shake my head. "Unfortunately not. I'm still surprised I got in."

After I bit of talking about ourselves, I notice that we have around 10 minutes until our established meetup time, so I get up, motioning Kyfa to come with me to the cafeteria.

Once we arrive, we see Synical, Dunch, and Myth sitting at one of the tables. I decide to grab some pasta and Kyfa grabs a soft pretzel along with some Panta. We walk over to the group, who seemed to have been talking a bit, and sit down. Dunch is smiling a bit, looking like he has some good news for us. That's when he tells us.

"Jamster! Kyfa! Synical wants to be part of our group!"

That fast, huh? He was the Ultimate Chill, so it must've been fairly easy persuading them, or he just said that he wanted to be part of the group. I mean, why wouldn't you want to make friends and establish alliances?

"I just want to keep the peace." Synical claims, saying nothing else, but with a look of confidence.

I was about to ask him some questions, but before I can, some people start to head into the cafeteria. The first group to filter in is Crumpet, Kessler, Esteban, and June. Esteban seems to be annoying the group.

"Wahahaha! Kessler you would really do that for June?"

I don't even bother to ask. Especially after that incident Kessler had before we were forced into this killing game.

Ameji slips in a minute later, grabbing some sushi and sits across from me. He has a deadpan look on his face, not dropping any hints as to whether he found something or not. He begins eating it, and notices Dunch eyeing it. Ameji slides over some for him and Dunch has a look of curiosity on his face. He begins to take apart the sushi and eat the ingredients one by one.

Ameji has a look of anger and disgust on his face. He immediately slams his fist on the table. "Hey Dunch... perhaps I should teach you the RIGHT way to eat sushi?"

Dunch nods, a look on his face acting like he was about to be killed.

While Ameji was showing Dunc the proper way to eat sushi, another group rolled in. This time the group consisted of Cake, Helck, Sodium, and Marti. They grabbed some food and took a seat at the opposite end of the table.

"God, there's NOTHING to do here." Cake groaned.

"Tell me about it," Helck concurs. "A garden and classroom can only entertain you so much."

"And they didn't unlock our FUCKING LABS." Kessler yells, pounding a fist onto the table.

I was surprised myself about the lack of different areas here. But shouldn't they have at least unlocked our labs for us to keep busy?

"Patience is key, Kessler." Sans claims. "Perhaps they're waiting for one of us to make the first move."

At this moment, Sans, Ultra, and Risk walk into the cafeteria.

"So your saying we should kill someone to unlock our labs? If that's the case, I'm killing that kimono wearing dumbass."

Risk winces at the remark, looking like he wants to run out of the cafeteria, but instead sits down behind me.

"Hey. Stop making those kind of threats towards people. That only worsens our situation." Synical scolds.

"I don't know Synical, I think that makes it better, gives me less people I have to deal with." Sans remarks. Synical gives a cold glare to Sans, who meets it with a smirk.

And finally, the last two members of the academy stroll in. Godot and Paris laughing about something. They grab some seafood and take a seat.

"Seems as if everyone's here," Ameji states. "Alright, the first meeting of the Zero Academy Club is now in session!"

"Woah, hold on here." Ultra says. "I never agreed to be part of this so-called club."

"Yeah bozo, what's the big idea?" Helck asks.

"Now wait, let me explain." Ameji asks. "If we form a sort of group, it will help us to establish our differences and help us resolve conflicts. It will also be a good way to share our ideas and possible ways we could escape."

"Question." Says June. "How am I supposed to be friend with someone who hates women?"

"We'll figure that out later." Ameji says, sweating. "But I have something to ask. Have any of you guys found anything of interest that could help us? Whether its escaping or restoring our memories."

"I did see a bunch of display racks up against the courthouse." Synical says. He's right about that, he had shown it to me.

"How does that help us with anything, though? It could just be for show."

"Well, the displays were empty, and there was a sign above the whole thing."

"A sign?"

"Yes. The sign had the words _Our Forgotten Knowledge_."

There was a loud chatter amongst the group. I didn't see that sign when Synical pointed the display out to me earlier, so it must've been changed around the time of the opening ceremony if he's telling the truth.

"Does that mean that could be the key to restoring our memories?" Myth asks.

"I certainly see it that way myself." Synical replies "Tell ya what. After this meeting, and after I'm finished with these waffles, I'll take anyone to the location of the display if they want to see it.

A bunch of replies of agreements were being blurt out by several people. Seems a lot of people were interested in this.

I was too busy eating my pasta to really watch anyone here, so I just noticed that Marti is gone, must've left just recently. I'm really starting to think this guy is trouble.

The group talks with each other for awhile longer, enthusiastic about seeing the display. This also brought up the discussion of which memories of ours had faded from us. Some people had it slightly worse than other, but generally it was all the same. Not remembering what they did to pass the time, and none of their other hobbies besides their ultimates. Only little tidbits of the past, such as Ameji's gambling partner, Dunch's time at the gym, and Esteban watching the movie _Cars_ for 48 hours on loop. So overall, nothing too special.

After a little more discussion, Synical stands up. "Ameji, care to end this meeting?"

"I know you guys are eager to see this, but first I want to say that I want the group to meet at least once per day during one of the meal times."

Everyone agreed to this one way or another, whether nodding or sighing.

"Okay then, the first official meeting of the Zero Academy Club is adjourned!"

"Alright," Synical announces. "If you would like to see the display, follow me."

Almost everyone follows behind Synical, slowly filing out of the cafeteria. I was about to get up just to have some people to interact with, but Ameji puts his hand on my shoulder, implying I stay put. Myth isn't moving from his seat either.

"Myth," Ameji says. "Me and you can check out the display later." There's something I need to tell you guys." A look of dread introduces itself onto his face.

"Is something wrong?" I ask him.

"Yes."

"I found..."

"Two tombstones."


End file.
